Russ Feingold: Obama Super PAC Reversal Will Lead To 'A Legalized Abramoff System'

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON -- Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) ripped into both President Barack Obama and his re-election team on Tuesday morning for backing off its previous criticism of outside spending on campaigns and embracing the role that super PACs will play in the 2012 election.

"It is a dumb approach," Feingold said in a phone interview with The Huffington Post. "It will lead to scandal and there are going to be a lot of people having corrupt conversations about huge amounts of money that will one day regret that they went down the route of what is effectively a legalized Abramoff system."

"I also think it guts the president's message and the Democratic Party's message," Feingold added. "We are doing very well right now. The president is doing brilliantly. This is no time to blunt that message by starting to play this game. I think people will see it as phony that Democrats start playing by Republican rules. People will see us as weak and not being a true alternative and just being the same as the other guy. And as I have said before, to me this is dancing with the devil."

One of the few remaining vocal champions of strict campaign finance rules, Feingold's harsh words for Obama were hardly unanticipated. The former senator offered a similar denunciation when former aides to the president first set out to form a super PAC, setting up the group that stands to benefit most from the campaign's new policy: Priorities USA Action.

One of the founders of that group told The Huffington Post on Monday night that the campaign's new approach to super PACS -- it will continue to publicly disapprove of their existence but will encourage donors to help fund them -- was simply a recognition of modern political realities.

"As has become evident in the past month, the only enthusiasm in the Republican Party is among oil company billionaires and investment bankers on Wall Street looking to defeat President Obama," said Bill Burton. "We’re committed to providing a balance to Karl Rove and the Koch brothers who have pledged more than half a billion dollars to their effort."

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Ah, the evil Koch Brothers again. It's all their fault!

[SrWoodchuck]

"It will lead to scandal and there are going to be a lot of people having corrupt conversations about huge amounts of money..."

 

O & DNC SOP.

 

I heard that their billion dollar war-chest was lagging....and they fear that the Repubs fund raising was closing the gap. If you take a look at the Romney media blitz against Newt in Florida.....there is an advantage to lots'o'money, in keeping half truths & prevarications in front of voters.